Meth addiction has been a problem since at least the turn of the 20th century. Methamphetamine or meth was a drug without a disease for a number of years until one research scientist who worked for a pharmaceutical company realized it could possibly relieve allergic and asthmatic conditions and was then patented and approve for sale. Meth addiction was soon realized as a problem specifically in soldiers who were prescribed the drug in WWI as a means to increase energy and alertness.
Meth addiction spiked in the 1990’s and still continues to be an ever present problem in the more rural areas of the country as the drug is manufactured in clandestine laboratories.
Meth addiction has a progressive nature with an elevating nature of use. Methamphetamine abuse classically has three routes of administration commonly used: snorting, injecting, and smoking. Snorting is the process of inhaling methamphetamine powder through the nose, where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Intravenous methamphetamine use is injecting is the use of a needle to insert the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling methamphetamine vapor or smoke into the lungs, where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as by injection. All three methods of use can lead to meth addiction and other severe health problems, including increasing the risk of contracting HIV and other transmittable diseases.
Meth addiction can begin with first time use of the drug. Studies have shown first time users have a ninety-five percent chance of contracting methamphetamine addiction.
Meth addiction affects the central nervous system. Since methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug that is similar in structure to amphetamine. Due to its high potential for abuse and addiction, methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. Even though methamphetamine can be prescribed by a doctor, its medical uses are limited, and the doses that are prescribed are much lower than those typically abused. Methamphetamine abused in the United States country comes from foreign or domestic super labs, although it can also be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, neighbors, and the environment.
Meth addiction has many lasting effects on the brain and body. Methamphetamine increases the release and blocks the reuptake of the brain chemical (or neurotransmitter) dopamine, leading to high levels of the chemical in the brain—a common mechanism of action for most drugs of abuse. A neurotransmitter is a chemical produced by the body that carries signals from one nerve cell to another.
Meth addiction causes a reduction on the production of dopamine leading to a high risk of craving the drug again. The neurotransmitter dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, the experience of pleasure, and motor function. Methamphetamine’s capability to discharge dopamine quickly in reward areas of the brain produces the intense euphoria, or “rush,” that many users feel after snorting, smoking, or injecting the drug. Meth addiction disturbs the normal flow of these naturally produced pleasure chemicals that can a minimum of three months or longer to correct which basically handicaps the methamphetamine addict from making sound pro-survival decisions.
